A Thousand Years
by jloggy11
Summary: It was plain as day that she was the one. Hermione was the one for him. There was no doubt that Ron loved her, Hermione owned his heart  whether she knew it or not . SONG-FIC, ONE-SHOT. Rated T to be safe.


_Heartbeats fast_

_Colors and promises_

_How to be brave_

_How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_

_But watching you stand alone_

_All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

As Ron watched her hair fan out behind her while they twirled on the dance floor at George's wedding, he knew. It was as plain as day that she was the one. Hermione was the one for him. Who else could take up the job? The pair had been through far too much for the spot in Ron's heart to belong to anyone else, it belonged to Hermione- and Hermione alone. It had honestly been a long time coming, everything built up slowly until it just bubbled up over the surface.

The revelation hadn't hit him randomly and all at once. It was gradual; he knew that he felt something more for her than any other woman in his life. The way he felt when she smiled at him was much better than how he felt when his mother did. When he hugged her, it was miles better than any hug Ginny had ever given him. Whenever she taught him something, it was better than anything he had ever been taught in Hogwarts. When he held her hand in his, he felt comforted- much more than when he used to hold his mother's hand. By far the best thing was when they kissed; there was nothing he could compare it to.

Ron often kicked himself for being insecure. It was his fear of rejection that prevented him from acting on his feelings for Hermione. His insecurity had prevented him from confessing his feelings to her at the Yule Ball, where Hermione looked positively stunning. He had wasted so many moments where he could have told her exactly how he felt. Soon she would be his wife, all he had to do was work up the courage to ask her.

_One step closer_

_I have died everyday waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_

_For a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

He stood by Harry's side as Hermione wiped her damp eyes. Ron wanted to wipe them from her cheeks, even if they were only tears of joy. Even with tears running down her face and her make up (how little of it she had on) smudged a bit, Hermione still looked absolutely radiant.

The two of them stood by their friends' sides, watching as Harry and Ginny began their life together. Throughout the ceremony, Hermione kept shooting him a soft smile. She knew the effect that smile had on him, and it meant a lot that she was breaking Ginny's rules (eyes forwards, pay attention to the ceremony, no flirting, etcetera, etcetera) to comfort him. He also liked that she didn't question him about his nervous aura, because she knew he couldn't tell her.

In that moment, Ron knew he could no longer delay the inevitable. They had been skirting around marriage for sometime now, but they knew it would happen. Ron knew it was the right course for them, the most natural thing for the both of them. Even though they fought, and often clashed, Ron knew that he would never find what he and Hermione have again. It could never be replicated, and no one would ever have a hold on his heart the way Hermione did. He would propose at the reception as planned, he couldn't wait any longer.

_Time stands still_

_Beauty in all she is_

_I will be brave_

_I will not let anything take away_

_What's standing in front of me?_

_Every breath_

_Every hour has come to this_

_One step closer_

He was waiting for her come around the corner, fidgeting from his anticipation. It had all lead up to this, every little thing. Everything had been set in motion that day they met on the Hogwarts Express. Fate was constantly pushing them together. Never mind that Hermione went to the Yule Ball with someone else, and Ron had a rather idiotic fling with some blonde. In Ron and Hermione's story, they didn't have names because they weren't important. The purpose of those two characters was to push Ron and Hermione together.

As soon as Ginny rounded the corner, Ron caught a glimpse of Hermione. Even though it was slight and seen through the crack of a door, it was enough to make Ron's breathing hitch. When Hermione stepped through the doorway, Ron thought he was going to fall over. He wasn't ever in the state to be embarrassed that he was staring at Hermione, agape, he could be embarrassed when he saw the photos George took.

She looked absolutely dazzling. Her hints of curves were accentuated perfectly by her flowing, silky, white wedding dress. Half of her hair was tied back, and the other half fell over her shoulders in long, loose curls. She had little make-up on her face, just a shimmering coat of lip-gloss on her plump lips, and mascara to lengthen her lashes. If there ever was a picturesque bride, it was the woman who stood in front of him.

_I have died everyday waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_

_For a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_And all along I believed I would find you_

_Time has brought your heart to me_

_I have loved you for a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_One step closer_

_One step closer_

Ron needed to remember to have a word with his younger sister; it was rather cruel of her to do this to him. Honestly, could the aisle be any longer? It was agonizing for him to have to wait for Hermione to reach him. All he wanted was to hold her soft, warm hands in his rough calloused ones. He wanted to have her undivided attention. As she made her way down the long aisle, Hermione looked around at the crowd seated in the quaint chapel near her childhood home. She seemed so jovial that everyone invited had made it, as if they would miss something like this. They were two thirds of the Golden Trio, and it had been a highly anticipated event (or so Fleur told him).

When she finally reached the stairs, Ron took a shaky breath. He didn't care that his mother would be mad at him for breaking tradition as he stepped down off the altar and pressed his lips to her forehead. He murmured sweet nothings as he led her up the steps of the altar. Ron was sure to tell her how beautiful she looked, and pinned on about seven I love you's. He was just so…so overjoyed! It was finally happening, they were getting married!

_I have died everyday waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_

_For a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

On the fifth anniversary of their wedding, Ron and Hermione were blessed with the birth of their first-born child. Rose Weasley was beautiful, just like her mother, and healthy. Ron swears that when she looked up at him with her wide blue eyes, she smiled at him (even though she was just born). It was in that moment, that Ron knew another women owned his heart. He had no more doubts that he didn't have room to love anyone else beside Hermione, Rose was proof of that.

Two years later, in May, Ron and Hermione welcomed their second child to the world. Hugo was the spitting image of Hermione. He had tufts of brown hair, and those wide, deep chocolate brown eyes. When Hugo smiled, Ron knew that another person had wiggled their way into his crowded heart.

Though he loved his children above anyone else, his love for Hermione was still unique. Over the years as they watched their children grow, they only grew closer (if that was possible). Although they fought, Ron still loved her very much. Over the years, his love for Hermione never faded or wavered. If anything, it grew more intense. She was still very beautiful to him, even as old age crept onto them. Aside from his children, Hermione was perhaps the most beautiful person he had ever known. He knew deep down, he would love her always.

_And all along I believed I would find you_

_Time has brought your heart to me_

_I have loved you for a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

When the time came for Hermione, Ron was sitting in a chair by her bed. Her cool, wrinkled, pale hand was wrapped in his. They had been married for sixty-five years, Hermione passed just after her eighty-fifth birthday. Ron didn't brood that Hermione's passing crept up on them too quickly. They loved each other since they were children (even though they didn't know that then), and had more time together than most people. They were lucky that they had so much time together, considering what they had been through. They fought on the frontline of a wizarding war, suffered through their grief, watched their children grow, dealt with their parents passing away, and watched their children have children. They had been blessed to live the life they did.

Their children had never known a life with just one parent, and Ron had long since forgotten how to live without Hermione. Now he did grieve, but he did not wallow. He got up and lived each day, because he had her heart and she had his. He loved one woman his whole life, and that was Hermione. He was lucky to have found what they had together. So, it was no surprise that Ron passed shortly after Hermione did, within the same year.


End file.
